I have always enjoyed looking at my old photos, but starting this blog has had me constantly digging in my photo bins looking for pictures to use for my blog. In doing so, I have come across so many wonderful old photos....and then looking at those tends to take me back in time. Sometimes it's back to my kid's teen years with sports pictures and prom pictures....then it's back to when they were really little....then back to our wedding and our dating years and then back to when I was a kid myself.
I was thinking last night about my childhood and in spite of the difficu
lties of my dad's physical and emotional health...he was a really cool guy! He had an uncanny way with animals, including wild animals. He nursed many a bird back to health and we even adopted a baby raccoon that lost it's mom.
My parents were very involved with the PTA at our school and even took part in the annual "Fall Follies" and fashion shows that were put on as fundraisers. Our neighborhood was close knit and my parents had many good friends. They would walk over to a neighbor's house for coffee or neighbors would stop by our house. They played cards and headed to the local "tap" for a drink some weekends. It was a good life.
The thing that came to mind last night was when my dad made us stilts. They were made from square wood "poles" with a piece of wood attached for your feet. These weren't the kind that strapped on, but rather the ones you wrapped your arms around to hold the long poles. I remember learning to use them and then walking all over the place with them. It got me where I wanted to go really fast because you could take such BIG steps! Then when the other kids saw them.....they wanted a pair too. Being the generous gu
y he was, dad started producing stilts for all of our friends, many stilts, and what fun we all had!
So, if you are ever looking for an inexpensive and fun "toy" for your kids...something that won't have them sitting in front of the TV, but rather outside in the fresh air....something really different.....make them a pair of stilts! Great exercise and an excellent way to learn balance! I've even found you some simple instructions right here. Now go make some stilts!
The pictures are my dad (shirtless) and my Uncle Bob when they were building our house in 1955, and the other is me (right), my sister Kay (front) and two of my neighborhood friends in 1958.
I was thinking last night about my childhood and in spite of the difficu
lties of my dad's physical and emotional health...he was a really cool guy! He had an uncanny way with animals, including wild animals. He nursed many a bird back to health and we even adopted a baby raccoon that lost it's mom.My parents were very involved with the PTA at our school and even took part in the annual "Fall Follies" and fashion shows that were put on as fundraisers. Our neighborhood was close knit and my parents had many good friends. They would walk over to a neighbor's house for coffee or neighbors would stop by our house. They played cards and headed to the local "tap" for a drink some weekends. It was a good life.
The thing that came to mind last night was when my dad made us stilts. They were made from square wood "poles" with a piece of wood attached for your feet. These weren't the kind that strapped on, but rather the ones you wrapped your arms around to hold the long poles. I remember learning to use them and then walking all over the place with them. It got me where I wanted to go really fast because you could take such BIG steps! Then when the other kids saw them.....they wanted a pair too. Being the generous gu
y he was, dad started producing stilts for all of our friends, many stilts, and what fun we all had!So, if you are ever looking for an inexpensive and fun "toy" for your kids...something that won't have them sitting in front of the TV, but rather outside in the fresh air....something really different.....make them a pair of stilts! Great exercise and an excellent way to learn balance! I've even found you some simple instructions right here. Now go make some stilts!
The pictures are my dad (shirtless) and my Uncle Bob when they were building our house in 1955, and the other is me (right), my sister Kay (front) and two of my neighborhood friends in 1958.
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6 comments:
We had the same stilts when we were young! I loved them and my parents still have them and I can still walk on them! They're so fun! I guess it's like riding a bike, once you learn, you never forget how!
Oh that must have been fun! My dad would take us to see the North Carolina Tar Heels practice basketball. I remember seeing Billy Cunningham and Larry Miller when they were just tall, skinny young men! What great memories these photos rekindle.
Lovely recollection and photos. Its always good to focus on the positive, and it sounds like you had lots of positives in your childhood!
Beautiful memories of good times! Kids actually used to play outside with stuff, who would've thought?! We try to keep our children active and away from all of the gadgets. I don't know if I'd be any good at building stilts but it sure sounds like fun!
Those were the good ole days, weren't they? What great memories and photos:)
when we were kids my dad and his brother made stilts for us at a family get together and we spent an entire weekend mastering the stilts and having all sorts of silly contests! we built them for our kids, too--so much fun!
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